Tin Man in Love
by HiveQueen
Summary: Amber Johnson awoke in Oz, after falling asleep in her college philosophy class, to find herself named the 'Savior', come to save Oz from the Wicked Witch of the East. With help from Lion, Scarecrow and new heart throb, Tin Man, she sets out on an unforgettable adventure, maybe even falling in love in the process.
1. From Philosophy to Oz

She fell asleep in her Philosophy class and awoke in a whole new world. 20 year old Amber Johnson was not expecting to awaken in the land of Oz on a Friday afternoon, but that is exactly where she landed. Amber jolted awake to see a small crowd of very small people staring curiously at her. As soon as she moved, they all disappeared, just as quickly as they had come. She was a bit disoriented and it took her eyes a moment to adjust to the bright lights. Amber was still sitting in her desk from college, but instead of being in her classroom, she was sitting in the middle of some kind of town square. She got up, stumbling a few steps before catching her balance, taking a look around. The town was large, but quaint. There were so many flowers and colors, so many smells. Amber got up out of her desk, doing a full 360 degree turn, her breath catching in her throat as she took everything in. Amber's mind was racing. "_Where was she? What was she doing here? Why was she here?"_ were just a few of the questions racing through her mind at the moment. She heard rustling behind her and turned quickly but all that was heard after that were giggles. She walked around her desk, towards a few trees that overlooked a glistening lake, her mind still reeling. The sweet burbling of a nearby stream filled her ears.

To make things worse, she was pretty sure a pink bubble was floating towards her over the horizon, slowly getting bigger. Amber's eyes went wide for a moment before she blinked hard a few times, shaking her head a few times, trying to clear her head.

To no avail, blinking and shaking of the head did not make this ever growing bubble disappear or get any smaller. And there was now a woman in the bubble in a frilly pink dress with a crown on her head and a wand in her hand. _"Yup, I am now going crazy." _Amber thought, giving a sigh, finally accepting the fact. The bubble got ever bigger and the woman got ever clearer. The woman was quite beautiful with her blue eyes and dirty blond hair. Suddenly this woman was standing in front of her, the pink hue of the bubble gone from around her body. "Hello." the woman said, a smile written across her face. Although a smile was on her face, a certain weariness was in her eyes, if you looked just close enough. "Hello." Amber murmured quietly. "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" The woman asked, smiling as if that was the most normal question in the world. "What? Oh, I am not a witch at all. My name's Amber. Amber Johnson. I am from California." Amber explained before realizing this woman must be a witch herself and was looking quite confused. "Who might you be?" Amber inquired. The smile returned, but there was another emotion behind that smile. Intrigue, curiosity maybe. "I am Glinda, the Good Witch of the South."

"And how many witches are there, exactly?" Amber wondered aloud. "Ah, there were four but a few years ago, the Wicked Witch of the East was crushed by the house of Dorothy Gale." Glinda explained, waving her wand around to add effect. Hearing the name of Dorothy and taking another look around, Amber realized where she was. "I don't happen to be in the land of Oz, do I?" Amber asked, being pretty sure she already knew the answer. "Yes, you are in the land of Oz. Specifically, Munchkinland." Glinda said, gesturing behind Amber. Amber looked behind her and jumped when she saw a crowd of people, all no taller then 4 ½ feet tall, had gathered around, staring up at her hopefully. They were all dressed in a weird fashion that was very new to Amber. She had, in fact, read all of the Wizard of Oz books, having never seen the movie, and this was not how she imagined Munchkins to look, at all. Most of the males wore trousers of all colors, striped and polka dotted, with equally as colorful shirts to go along with them. The women were slightly smaller but no less colorful. They all wore dresses of different sizes and shapes, reminding her of flowers. Some of the heads had beautiful hats and bonnets on them covering up different styles of hair, whether it be short and curly or long and straight. "Oh they are wonderful." Amber exclaimed, a look of pure delight on her face. She looked over at Glinda and saw the witch was beaming as well. "Yes, they are quite a wonderful people." Amber was about to ask a question when a man stepped forward, lending a bow in her direction. "Welcome, Amber Johnson, our Savior." the man squeaked before stepping back among his fellow beings. Amber was now thoroughly confused. She glanced to her right at Glinda, hoping to woman could give her an answer. Glinda paused for a moment before gesturing to follow her, through the parting crowd. Amber caught up to her quickly. "What did they mean by Savior?" Amber inquired. "I am no savior."

"Years ago, a prophecy was spoken throughout the lands speaking of young woman who would come to Oz during a time of great sorrow. She would come and save the land from the evils of the Wicked Witch of the East. We were given only a name. Amber. Oz, from the moment Dorothy left, has been terrorized by a nameless malice. A beast of the Wicked Witch's. The Savior, as named in the prophecy, will defeat this creature." Glinda explained as we walked throughout the town, smiling slightly to herself, as if being reminded of a distant memory. Struck down by this new information, Amber stayed quiet for minutes on end, taking everything in. As they strode down a walkway through the town, many people of all sizes emerged as they went along, from a many nooks and crannies. Many of the Munchkins bowed as she came along. "Who gave you this prophecy? And was not the Wicked Witch of the West also killed by Dorothy?" Amber asked finally. The corner of the woman's mouth curled up in a slight smile. "She was not killed, only injured. The water merely stripped her of her body, her essence still alive. But in the past few years, she has slowly regained what she has lost. The Great Wizard of Oz in the Emerald City gave us this prophecy, many, many a year ago."

They walked in silence for a few moments before Amber asked yet another question. "Why has her evil not reach here? Is it because you are here?" She inquired. Glinda chuckled and shook her head. "No dear. The Wicked Witch of the West is more powerful then I. But there is one thing that can keep out all evil." Glinda said, stopping to turn and face Amber. "Love." She said with a smile. "Love is what is keeping her out of Munchkinland." Before Amber could ask any more of Glinda to ease her mind, applause filled the air. Amber looked around, completely shocked. She found herself in the town center, standing in the middle of a red and yellow swirl, being surrounded by Munchkins of all ages and sizes. "Amber Johnson, my friends!" Glinda exclaimed, raising her hands in the air. There were cheers and whoops emanating from the crowd. A heavier-set man stepped forward, who Amber assumed was Mayor, and undid a scroll, reading a message aloud. "Miss Amber, welcome to Munchkinland, in the wonderful land of Oz. We welcome you with joy and utmost happiness. Now, we send you on your journey with hope and luck in fulfilling the prophecy laid down before you. We send with you, provisions and a weapon to help light your way." And with that, he closed the scroll and placed a satchel over Amber's shoulder's, along with handing her a sword. The weapon felt foreign in Amber's hands but she bowed in thanks. "Now follow the yellow brick road." The mayor said, gesturing to the yellow bricks under his feet. And Amber did just that. Where the edge of the town met the country, Amber met with Glinda again. "I know this was quite a quick send off but it is necessary, for our world and to get you home, although I have never heard of this California you speak of. But nevertheless, as you travel down this road, remember to follow your heart."

"Where must I go?" Amber asked, her voice going a little higher in worry. Glinda smiled and replied. "Follow this yellow brick road until you get to a lonely cabin, perched on the right side. You will find your answer there." Suddenly, Glinda was gone. One moment, she was there and the next, she wasn't. Amber was not all that surprised by this, because Glinda was a witch and that was how Amber expected witches to leave.

With a few waves and a couple goodbyes, Amber was on her way. On her way to kill a witch. Amber sighed and continued to walk, for what seemed like forever. There was a fence running along the side of the road that was painted a beautiful shade of blue. The country on the other side of the fence consisted of rolling hills and white daisies. Off in the distance, Amber could see a dazzling lake. This part of Oz was stunningly beautiful.

It was late in the afternoon when she came to a crossroad. She could either go straight, to the left, or to the right. She had no idea where to go. After a few minutes, Amber chose to go right. What made her decide to go this direction, no one could guess, other then it felt right to do so. As she wandered down this path, the fence that had been running along the sides were beginning to fall apart and eventually disappeared altogether. The yellow pathway became littered with leaves as Amber entered a forest. It was not a thick forest but there were enough tree's to make it seem overbearing. She saw that the tree's bore apples and she smiled. Apples had always been Amber's favorite fruit. She waltzed over to the side of the path and reached up to the lowest branch she could reach and picked a gorgeous red apple off a branch. She looked at it, a smile curling her lips. "Hey! Do you think it's alright to just pick an apple off someone's branches and not ask first?" A voice asked. Amber jumped and looked around for the source of the voice. "Right here, deary." The voice said. Amber looked around for a moment before realizing the voice came from the tree she had picked the apple from. Amber's jaw dropped but no words came out of her mouth. "Well don't just stand there and gawk at me. If you want that apple there, you better ask!" the tree said, gesturing to the apple in her hand. Amber stuttered for a moment before she was able to get a functional sentence out. "Y-you're a talking tree." She stated. The tree smirked as best as a tree could and replied. "Well that does seem to be the case, doesn't it? Now, if you aren't going to ask for that apple, I would like it back." Amber looked at the apple and then looked back at the tree. That was when she noticed the cabin up the path a ways, blending in quite well with the tree's on the right. The cabin was made of stone and had a thatched roof covered in moss. There was a soft glow coming from the two windows by the door, hinting someone was inhabiting the home. Turning her gaze back to the tree, Amber smiled. "May I please have this apple, good sir. I am quite hungry and these apples look absolutely dazzling. I could not resist taking one. I am sorry if I have offended you." Amber murmured. A moment of silence came before she got the answer to her question. "Your flattery has gained you a snack this evening, Miss Johnson." Amber's eyebrows furrowed, questioning how the tree new her name. The tree smiled as he read her expression. "News travels fast around here. The only people who might not know Amber Johnson is in Oz are the inhabitants of that cabin over there. They seem to be quite oblivious to the world around them." The tree said, gesturing to the cabin Amber had been eying earlier. The woman thanked the tree for the apple and made her way to the cabin. It was getting late and she was tired and needed somewhere to stay. Amber walked up the three steps to the door and gave a knock and waited.

Out of all beings to answer a door, she did not expect a scarecrow to be the one to do so. Amber let out a small gasp and the scarecrow smiled slightly. "How may I help you tonight, dear?" he asked. Amber moved from a shocked expression to one with a smile. She would have to get used to the idea she wasn't in California anymore. "I have a need of a place to stay tonight. You wouldn't happen to have an extra room would you?" She asked hopefully. "We do not have an extra bed but if you are willing to stay on a couch, we do have one in the living room that is free." the scarecrow said, smiling. "Thank you very much Mr. Scarecrow." Amber said, walking in past the stuffed man, taking a look around. The cabin had a staircase by the door that led to a second story and there was a small kitchen to the left and the living room to the right. "It's just Scarecrow." the man said from behind her. Amber turned around and smiled. "Well it is a pleasure to meet you Scarecrow. I am Amber." She said. Scarecrow smiled and bowed. "The pleasure is all mine, Savior." he said, standing up again.

Amber smiled slightly and moved to put her satchel and sword on the couch Scarecrow had gestured to. "There is a washroom upstairs and some extra clothes up there that should fit you, if you want to change out of those ones." Scarecrow said, showing her to the stairs. "Lion and Tin Man should be home soon." Scarecrow said as Amber made her way up the stairs. It took her all of ten minutes to clean herself up and change into a light blue dress that was loose but still fit her well. And it was comfortable enough to sleep in. Why a Scarecrow, a Lion and Tin Man had a closet of womens clothes was beyond her and she wasn't about to ask. Amber carried her old clothes with her down the stairs, intent on putting them in the empty space of her satchel. As she stepped down the stairs, Amber heard a new set of voices that she knew did not attach to Scarecrow. A stair creaked under her weight and the voices stopped talking. "Ruff, here she is." A voice growled. Amber smiled at the sound because that is exactly how she pictured the Lion sounding. She reached the last step and turned to face her hosts. The lion was just as she had pictured with his large mane, blue eyes and well built physique. But her eyes quickly shifted to the Tin Man, who was not what she pictured him as. He was tall, over six foot and very attractive for a man made of tin. What attracted her was the deep blue of his eyes. She had never seem such eyes before. A silence filled the air before it was broken by Scarecrow. "Well it is getting late. I do believe that Lion and I are going to go to bed." Scarecrow said, stretching his arms. "But I'm not.." Lion started, but was unable to finish before Scarecrow nudged him as inconspicuously as he could manage. Because up until that point, the lion had not seen how Tin Man had been gazing at Amber.

The Tin Man had seen a woman as beautiful woman such as Amber only once. Before he had been turned to tin, the man had fallen in love with a Munchkin woman who had sadly passed away, merely days after he had gotten his heart from the Great Wizard of Oz. Now that he had gotten a heart, he had never felt it pick up and beat as fast as it was now. Scarecrow and Lion made their way slowly up the stairs, leaving the Tin Man and Amber to themselves. With a smile, Amber shifted her gaze and walked over to the couch, placing her clothes in the empty space in her satchel. She set the bag on the floor and grabbed the blanket that was draped over the back of the couch, all the while feeling the eyes of the Tin Man glancing her way every so often. After Amber finished placing the blanket over the couch, she noticed the piano in the far corner of the room. A smile crossed her lips as she slowly walked over to it. "May I play this?" She asked, glancing over at Tin Man. The man nodded, giving a yes to her question. Amber had only been playing the piano for the past few years and was not all that experienced but she loved to play. She sat down and started playing a song. The song was one she had been practicing for months and always seemed to mess up on one part. After a few attempts at trying to get it, Amber heard the Tin Man walk over and take a spot next to her. "Try this." He murmured, playing the part she couldn't. His voice was silken smooth and it took her a lot to focus on how his hands moved over the keys. After he was done, she placed her hands on the keys and played the part flawlessly. A look of shock overcame her face and she looked at Tin Man triumphantly, smiling. Her smile was contagious and made the Tin Man smile slowly. Amber's heart immediately melted when she saw him smile. He had a wonderful smile that seemed to brighten his eyes even more.

From the shadows, Lion and Scarecrow smiled to each other. Neither of them had seen Tin Man smile in years, since the moment Dorothy left and his love died, he had not smiled once. It was good for them to see their friend happy again And with that, the two of them disappeared again, leaving Tin Man and Amber to play far into the night, smiles and all.


	2. Lions, Earphones and Humming Trees

**Authors Note: Thank you to the wonderful people who have reviewed and have yet to review! If there is something you want me to change or an idea you want me to add to the story, put it in the review! Or if you love the story, review that too! I hope you like this next installment as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please read, review and above all, enjoy it!**

Amber never remembered falling asleep but she awoke and found herself sprawled on the couch, a blanket covering up her body. The last thing etched on her memory was a picture of Tin Man teaching her to play and his smile. Then nothing. She must have fallen asleep at the piano. How embarrassing! The house was quiet and she could see the sun rising over the horizon through the windows of the cabin. The sun filled the sky with arrays of pinks and oranges. It was a beautiful sight to look upon. Amber stretched her arms above her head and yawned. She slowly moved the blankets off of her, placing her feet on the ground. The stone was cold against her skin and a shiver rippled through her body. With a small groan, she got up, unruffling the dress she had slept in. Amber quickly and quietly folded the blanket on the couch, placing it over the arm of the piece of furniture. Amber walked over to the door, quietly slipping on her boots. Amber waltzed over to the counter in the kitchen, finding a piece of paper and a pen. Amber scribbled a quick note, thanking her hosts for letting her stay the night. She did not want to burden them anymore. Distracted by getting ready to depart, Amber did not hear the paw-steps descending the stairs. "Thank you." A gruff voice purred. Amber turned around to face Lion, who had taken a spot at the bottom of the stairs. A smile curled the edges of her mouth as she turned and slipped the satchel over her head and onto her shoulder. "I should be thanking you. You took me in last night when I had nowhere to stay." Lion made a sound that sounded something close to a chuckle. "Anyone in their right mind would help. I am talking about Tin. I have not seen him happy in years and you come along and he his smiling within ten minutes of meeting you." Lion said, padding over to stand in front of her. "Scarecrow and I thank you dearly." Lion purred before his eyes shifted to Amber's sword laying on the couch. "Ya' know where you're going?" Lion asked, gesturing to the weapon with his paw. Amber glanced over at the weapon before turning her gaze back to the lion. "To kill a Wicked Witch?" She said pathetically. The Lion huffed and what could be considered a smile etched it's way onto his face. "The Witch lives in the Emerald City now, after she overran our city with her Flying Monkeys and has ruled there ever since."

"It is going to take more than a sword and a few days provisions to get there." The Tin Man said from his spot on the bottom step. Amber jumped a little, as did Lion. Neither of them had heard him descend the stairs. Amber turned to face him. "And what do you suggest?" She inquired. A flicker of a smile crossed Tin Man's eyes before disappearing again, as he came to stand in front of her. "Scarecrow?" Tin Man yelled up to the second floor. After a moment, a reply came down. "Yeah?" he said. With a smirk, Tin Man answered. "Pack your bags. We're going on an adventure, to kill a Witch."

For the next hour, as the three companions got ready, Amber spent that time trying to convince them coming with her was a very bad idea. But they would not listen. "The Witch took the Emerald City from me, the Forest from Lion and the land of the Winkies from Tin Man. This cottage was the last place we could come. Now that you are here, willing to defeat the Witch, there is no reason to hide in this house any more. We have a reason to fight back." explained Scarecrow as he stuffed another piece of food in a bag. Despite the fact that Amber was the only one that really had to eat, seeing as Lion could hunt for himself, Scarecrow packed enough for a great deal of people. Finally giving up, Amber turned and picked up the pair of jeans she had worn, intent on placing them in her pack but stopped when she felt a lump in the back pocket. Confused, she slipped her hand into the pocket and came out with her phone, along with earphones attached. A smile lit her face, as she held the device to her chest, closing her eyes. It was something from home, even something that was as simple as a phone, it made her happy.

Glancing back, she slipped her phone in the front pocket of her pack, placing the last piece of clothing in the bag and closing it up and moving it onto her shoulders. Turning, she saw Scarecrow doing the same with the pack of food. Amber grabbed her sword and smiled. "Well, seeing as I cannot stop you three from coming with me, are you guys ready?" She inquired. "Ruff, we were born ready deary." Lion growled, grinning. Amber laughed and walked to the door, holding it open. "Alright then. Let's go get this Witch." Amber followed them out and at the yellow path, she turned left but got no more than a few feet before a voice behind her called out. "Amber? The City is this way."

Amber quickly turned on heal and walked past her three companions with purpose. "I knew that!" She said, trying not to sound to discouraged. After walking for a while in silence, Amber weaseled her phone out of the pocket in her bag, deciding her music might be the one thing to keep her sane at the moment. Slipping both earphones in her ears, she started on the first song, which happened to be her favorite, _Underground _by David Bowie. She smiled and continued on her walk, zoning out the world. After a few songs, she felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped slightly, taking her earphones out, mid-song, turning to see Tin Man by her side. "What is that contraption you have in your hand that is so oddly connected to your ears?" He asked, gesturing to the phone in her hand. Realizing these people had most likely never seen a phone before so Amber thought a moment of how to explain the device to her new friends. "It is a device that plays music and these things are called earphones and you stick them in your ears so when this device plays the music, only you can hear it." Amber explained, giving a smile. Tin Man still looked confused so Amber took the earphones and reached up to place them in his ears. She had no idea what song was playing, but she hoped it was one that was not to scarring. A shocked expression came across the Tin Man's features, followed in quick succession, by a smile. From behind them both, Lion and Scarecrow heard the explanation but both were still confused. "This device is amazing." Tin Man said a little to loudly. Amber laughed and after the song was done, she took the earphones back. Amber glanced back and saw the confusion written on the faces of her new friends and skipped back to place the earphones in the ears of Scarecrow. A shocked expression crossed his face, just like the one on Tin Man's face. "Let me hear, let me hear." Lion growled as he took the earpieces out of Scarecrows ears, placing them in his own with his clumsy paws. Lion cackled and clapped his paws together, jumping up a little. Amber cackled and after a moment, took back her earphones. "I need to save it's energy. This device would run out of energy if I let you three listen to it the whole time." Amber explained, grinning as she put the phone away. She heard an exasperated sigh and grinned even wider.

As the sky got dark, the four companions finally made it to the edge of the forest, overlooking a large prairie of green grass and flowers and a beautiful setting sun. "We should rest here tonight and continue on tomorrow morning." Amber said as she set her bag against what looked to be a large Fir. A murmur of agreement passed between her companions. "I'll go chop some wood down and Lion and I will start a fire." Tin Man said, slinging his ax over his shoulder and wondered off, coming back fifteen minutes later with a large bundle of wood. By that time, Amber and Lion had managed to gather enough to kindle to get a good fire going and not moments later, there was a flame blazing where there had been only wood before. Off a distance, stood Scarecrow all by his lonesome, away from the flame. "Come closer Scarecrow!" Amber called out, waving him over. Scarecrow smiled slightly and shook his head. "This is fine. There are not many things that scare me, but fire is one of them because I will burn right up, being made of straw and all. Now that I have a brain, I understand why fire lights straw now." the straw man said as he tapped his head. Amber nodded, accepting the fact that the man would come no closer. The woman slid down against the bark of a tree, taking her sore feet out of their confinements, watching as Lion lay down by the fire and Tin Man leaned himself against another tree, not to far from her own. She noticed she was staring and she tore her gaze away from the man made of tin and moved her eyes into the orange and yellow flame. Her eyelids began to flutter shut but she got no more than a blinks worth of sleep before her ears picked up the sound of a low humming that seemed to emanate from the trees themselves.

Amber opened one eye, and than the other, confused. But the three companions around her acted as if hearing the trees hum was a normal thing around here, which it probably was. But for Amber, it was a little weird. But to make things even more interesting, Lion began to sing, and Amber recognized the song as Little Drummer Boy, a song she greatly enjoyed, not entirely sure how the people in Oz knew it but she was not about to question it, listening as the first notes reached her ears:

(Lion)

_Come they told me_

_Pa rum pum pum pum_

His voice was a deep base and she enjoyed the sound but moments later, Scarecrow joined in with his higher, but just as beautiful voice, followed by Tin Man whose voice Amber would never forget until the end of her days:

(Scarecrow)

_A newborn King to see_

_Pa rum pum pum pum_

(Tin Man)

_Our finest gifts we bring_

_Pa rum pum pum pum_

The singing paused and all three beings before her turned and looked at her, as if expecting something. After a moment, she realized there was a fourth part and they wanted her to be a part of it. Amber spent a couple seconds trying to remember the words and when they came to her, she smiled and her light voice filled the air. She saw all three of her companions smile when she began:

(Amber)

_To lay before the king__  
__Pa rum pum pum pum,__  
__Rum pum pum pum,__  
__Rum pum pum pum___

_So to honor Him__  
__Pa rum pum pum pum__  
__When we come_

After she finished her part, all eyes turned to the fire and voices continued.

(Scarecrow)

_Little baby  
Pa rum pum pum pum  
I am a poor boy too  
Pa rum pum pum pum_

(Tin Man and Amber)

_I have no gift to bring  
Pa rum pum pum pum  
That's fit to give our King  
Pa rum pum pum pum,  
Rum pum pum pum,  
Rum pum pum pum_

(Lion)

_Shall I play for you  
Pa rum pum pum pum  
Pa rum pum pum pum_

(Lion and Scarecrow)

_Mary nodded  
Pa rum pum pum pum  
The ox and lamb kept time  
Pa rum pum pum pum_

__(Amber added)_  
I played my drum for Him  
Pa rum pum pum pum  
I played my best for Him  
Pa rum pum pum pum,  
Rum pum pum pum,  
Rum pum pum pum_

(All four of them)

_Then He smiled at me  
Pa rum pum pum pum  
Me and my drum_

Oh Ooh Oooh Ooh Ooh Oooh oh

Come they told me  
Pa rum pum pum pum  
A new born King to see  
Pa rum pum pum pum

Me and my drum  
Rum pum pum pum

When the song finally ended, all that could be heard was the wind rustling through the trees, nothing more. A smile slipped across Amber's lips as she looked over at Tin Man for reassurance and he gave her a slight smile and a nod of his head. "Good night Amber." he murmured before he turned away again. "Good night everyone." Amber said. "Good night Tin Man." She whispered, more to herself than to anyone else.

And for the second night in a row, Amber fell asleep with a smile on her lips and happy thoughts in her mind.


End file.
